Hand weeding, Herbicides, Soybean, Sodium-acifluorfen + clodinafop-propargyl, Weed management

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Ummedganj, Kota, Rajasthan during rainy (Kharif) season, 2019 to study the comparative efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicides in managing weeds and improving productivity of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill). The experimental field was infested with grassy weeds (48.60%), broad-leaved weeds (39.49%) and sedges (11.91%). Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv and Echinochloa colona (L.) Link among grassy weeds, Boerhavia diffusa L. nom. cons., Convolvulus arvensis L., Commelina benghalensis L., Digera arvensis Forsk., Celosia argentea L. among broad-leaved weeds and Cyperus rotundus L., the sedge were major associated weeds. Maximum soybean seed yield (1800 kg/ha) and higher weed control efficiency (77.79%) were recorded with hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS) followed by post-emergence application of sodium-acifluorfen 16.5% + clodinafop- propargyl 8% (premix) 165 + 80 g/ha (1550 kg/ha).